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Resume Do’s and Don’ts: Tips for a Job-Winning Resume

on June 26, 2017 in ABR Blog, Career and Job Search Tips

 

Are you ready to start your job search, but new to the workforce? Maybe you are ready for a new position or want to work in a different field. Regardless of your reason for launching a new job search—whether working on your own or with a professional staffing agency—your resume will be a key factor in helping you make a positive impression that results in an interview.

HR decision makers and other hiring professionals consider the resume an essential tool as long as prospective job candidates follow the generally accepted resume do’s and don’ts.

What Are Some Important Resume Do’s and Don’ts?

By learning and following some basic do’s and don’ts when preparing your resume, your carefully crafted professional outline may find its place closer to the top of the stack. After that, it’s probably a short time before they are ready to slide it over to the “call for interview” group.

At ABR Employment Services we provide personalized support throughout the job search process. We thought we’d share our  list of our top resume do’s and dont’s. Here’s how you can use them as you launch your own job search.

Resume Do’s

Do Prepare a Cover Letter. Make sure your cover letter reflects the job that interests you, as well as your relevant experience, education or any special training. In your cover letter, describe in a few sentences how your experience relates to what’s outlined in the employer’s job description. Also, be sure to briefly share how  your beliefs and values align with the company’s culture. Information about a company’s culture is usually available on its company website or social media sites.

Do Make Your Resume Scannable. Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that allow them to scan your resume for key words and phrases. Keep the formatting simple; ATS systems prefer plain text resumes. Use the same keywords in the job posting in your resume to help get ‘noticed’ by the ATS. The Jobscan tool on our food and beverage partner’s website will help you do that!

Do Share Results-Based Success. Tell a CAR story —  a workplace Challenge, the Actions you took and the Result.  If possible, when describing the result, include what you saved, improved or enhanced like time, money or productivity.

Resume Don’ts

Don’t Submit a Resume That Contains Typos. While your job may not involve clerical work, your resume is your chance to go above and beyond the duties of the job itself. Show hiring managers how important this job is to you by making sure each word is spelled correctly and that your sentence structure is correct. Consult our team or a trusted friend if you have any doubts. It is worth the effort to avoid this error and make a great first impression.

Don’t Include Unnecessary Information. Information that falls under this “don’t” includes anything personal like hobbies or your birth date. Your resume is a snapshot of your professional experience, and so anything beyond that may be considered too much information.

Don’t Provide False Information. This “don’t” includes exaggerating your work experience and job titles, but it also includes any information you provide that is outright false. Employers and hiring teams regularly perform background and reference checks. Providing false information is a quick way to take yourself out of the running.

Learn More About the Do’s and Don’ts of a Job-Winning Resume

At ABR Employment Services, we understand that preparing a spot-on resume can be tricky.  If you have any questions about the resume tips listed here, or if you’d like to learn about some additional resume do’s and dont’s we couldn’t fit on the list, we are here to help. Contact us so we can help you start your job search with all the right tools.

This blog was written by Joan Pajari, Senior Marketing Specialist at ABR Employment Services and Kinsa Group.